Adventures In Crown Sitting
by 3VAD127
Summary: Formerly known as Life Isn't Fair. Kim and Ron have been dating since junior Prom, but before they can take the next big step in their lives, a no good foe causes Ron and Kim to become sidetracked. KR oneshot. [COMPLETE]


Disclaimer: _KP_ belongs to Disney, not me.

A/N: Don't worry, people; I'm working on chapter nine of Old Foes as we speak. I just thought I'd take a little break and try writing a cute fluff story. I don't know how this will turn out; all I have is my idea, my computer, and my brain. So here goes.

**Adventures In Crown-Sitting**

Chez Henri was a gorgeous four-star restaurant located in downtown Upperton. Settled into a cozy corner of the bustling metropolis, it still held a place of prominence in the city and attracted many guests. Surrounded by well-manicured lawns, topiaries, and a beautiful rose garden, the restaurant was a must-see for all tourists to the tri-city area. Unfortunately, it was only a select few who could attain passage through the artistically carved archway into the elegant interior of the beautiful eatery.

Fortunately, one of these "select few" was none other than Ronald Adrian Stoppable, accompanied by his stunning girlfriend of seven years, Kimberly Anne Possible. He had wanted the night to be special, so he had left Rufus at home with promises of a trip to Bueno Nacho and grande-sized Chimurritos upon his return. Rufus had been reluctant at first, but the thought of grande-sizing it eventually won him over. Ron had patted him on the head and went outside to meet Kim for their date.

Kim and Ron sat at a back corner of the restaurant, preferring a little privacy. Today was the anniversary of the starting of their relationship, and the pair wanted to celebrate. Ron had called in a favor from when he had filled in as head chef of Chez Henri. Kim had pulled a few strings of her own to get the stretch limo they had come in. Expensive wine was brought out for the pair, and they dedicated a toast to their long-standing friendship.

Kim raised her glass in the air, the amber liquid sloshing about in her glass. Ron did likewise, his hand shaking. You see, Ron had more on his mind than just a toast to their relationship; he was ready to take it to the next level. He had already spoken with Mr. Dr. Possible, and he had given his consent. Today, he was going to ask Kim to marry him. Ron loved her, and he knew she loved him just as much. He didn't want to put it off any longer.

Kim's voice broke through his thoughts. "A toast, to a long and healthy partnership." She was wearing a stunning sleeveless black dress and a gorgeous emerald necklace that perfectly matched her eyes. Ron was wearing a classic black tux and red bowtie. Kim lifted her glass in the air and motioned for Ron to follow. He did.

Their glasses clanked, and Kim raised the glass to her lips.

"Y-yeah," Ron stuttered. "... Healthy p-partnership." His hand was shaking so badly, he could barely drink his toast. After much trial-and-error, he finally got the wine down his throat. He set the half-empty glass down carefully. He raised his eyes to find Kim looking at him questioningly.

"Everything OK?" she asked, placing a hand atop his. "You seem a little... flustered."

"Oh, yeah! Everything's... everything's fine! Just... fine." He pulled at his collar as if to let off some steam.

Kim raised her eyebrow. "Yeah, right. Like I'm gonna believe _that_. Now, come on! We've known each other for a long time. No secrets."

Ron took a deep breath. _You can do it, you can do it, you can do it!_ _Just go ahead and ask her already! _"OK. Miss Possible, will you..." he reached into his pocket to find the emerald-encrusted ring he had boughten her. He groped around, not finding anything. "... will you..." Curse himself! Why hadn't he put it in the velvet box like everyone else? His finger suddenly brushed something in his coat pocket. Uh-oh. A hole. He poked his finger out just to be sure. _Crap!_ He spotted the ring skittering across the marble floor a few feet away. "... will you excuse me for a moment?" Ron got down on all fours, searching the floor for the ring. He ignored the stares of some of the patrons near them and tried his best to stay out of the way of the occasional waiter that scuttled by.

Kim looked on, her hand over her mouth. _Whatever is he looking for?_ Her cheeks flushed a bright red when he started crawling across the floor. She slapped her forehead. _Oh, Ron! God bless you, but sometimes, you're so naïve and childlike._ At least she couldn't complain about the view...

"Miss Possible, Miss Possible!" A flustered waitress rushed to her table, speaking in a heavy French accent. "Miss Possible, we have just received this urgent summons from Global Justice. Please, read it immediately." The blonde woman handed Kim a single sheet of paper. The "GJ" signature was emblazoned across the top; it had apparently been faxed to the restaurant. Kim read the letter under her breath.

_Dear Miss Possible,_

_I am terribly sorry to interrupt your pleasant evening, but we have recently discovered something quite disturbing. Monkey Fist has escaped from jail, and his current whereabouts are unknown. Global Justice has some of its top agents, including Will Du, on this case; but since you and your companion, Mr. Stoppable, have the most background with this character, it would be best if we sent you in as the primary team. You will, of course, be given your choice of a companion teammate; I'm assuming already this will be Mr. Stoppable. Good luck, Team Possible, in finding him. He is a threat to humanity and must be apprehended immediately._

_Dr. Betty Director_

_Head of Global Justice_

Kim carefully folded the paper and placed it in her purse. "Thank you," she told the young waitress. "And will you please inform my partner, Ron, that GJ has some urgent news for us?" The young woman nodded and scurried away to find him.

**Meanwhile...**

Ron looked around, checking to see if the ring had accidentally fallen into a crack between the tile. Suddenly, he spotted it lying a few feet in front of him. He scurried up to it and put his hand out to grab it when a passing waiter kicked the ring further down the room. Ron cursed himself and crawled after it. Unfortunately, it had rolled underneath a table occupied by an old couple. The woman, who was a tad overweight, gave the man a very pleased look. Apparently, he had made a good dinner choice; the woman approved. The man was wearing glasses, a nice suit, and looked frail enough to fall apart any second.

Ron held his breath, gathering up his courage. He plunged under the table, going by unnoticed. The couple had no idea a strange man was under their table, looking for an engagement ring he wanted to give to his girlfriend. They continued eating their soup, totally ignorant of the mental battle Ron was engaged in right now.

He was now under the table. He spotted the ring right in front of him and was just about to grab it up when the woman crossed her legs. Now, normally, this wouldn't have been such a bad thing, but this time, her shoe caught on the edge of the ring and scooped it up onto her toe. Ron cursed himself even more. How had he gotten himself into this predicament? He carefully reached up to the woman's foot and gently pulled off the ring from her toe.

Above the table, the woman gave the man a suspicious look and slapped him with her napkin. The man, extremely frail already, looked even more delicate as he shivered at the woman's anger.

Oblivious to it all, Ron crawled out from under the table and held up the ring, triumphant in his success. He cleared his throat, trying to figure out just the right way to propose to Kim.

"Kimberly Anne Possible, will you marry me?" No. "Kimberly Anne Possible, will you _please _marry me?" That sounded better. He started walking towards their table, lines still running through his mind, when a young blonde woman ran up to him.

"Mr. Stoppable?" she inquired.

Ron was too busy practicing his proposal to notice her.

"Mr. Stoppable!" she said again, more forcefully this time.

Normally, Ron would've talked to the young waitress, but today, he had bigger and better things on his mind. "Not now, Miss; I'm busy." He walked towards his and Kim's table, quickening his pace.

"_Oui, Monsieur_..." She realized he was busy, but she had important news for him. Unfortunately, just then, a large group of people cut across her path. She waited for them to pass, then looked around for Ron. He was gone.

**Kim's table**

As Ron approached their table, he quickly stuffed the ring in his pocket. He really wanted to ask her today, but the "right time" had already come and gone. He sighed; maybe next time.

When Ron sat down, he noticed Kim holding a small mirror; she was touching up her lipstick. When she saw him, she quickly put it away and folded her hands under her chin.

"Kim, I need to--"

Kim waved her hand. "Don't worry, Ron," she said. "I know what you're going to say. But I already knew." She was, of course, thinking about responding to GJ's message.

Ron appeared flustered. "Y-you knew? Well, OK. S-so, what do you think?"

"Oh, Ron. Duh! Of course! I think it's a _marvelous_ idea."

"S-so, you want to? I mean, you really want to?" Poor Ron. His mind was set on marriage, while Kim was 2,000 miles away.

"Of course!" Kim pulled out her mirror again and dabbed at her lipstick. She didn't want to appear too eager to go, of course. That would ruin the fun. "I don't think it's a matter of _wanting_; it's a matter of duty."

Ron was shocked. "_Duty_?" Kim had never spoken like this before. "Um, well, I-I guess it depends on how you look at it..." Ron blinked a couple times and pulled out his planner. "So, h-how does next April sound?" _She'll agree. April's a good time to have a wedding._

Now it was Kim's turn to be shocked. Of course they were going to help GJ immediately! And Ron was usually the one who jumped in feet first... "Oh, good heavens, no! We must act immediately tonight!"

"TONIGHT!" Ron shoved his planner back into his pocket as Kim pulled him from his seat.

"Come on, silly! We need to hurry, or we'll miss our ride." She rushed him from the restaurant into a helicopter waiting for them on the front lawn. They both strapped themselves in and put on their helmets. Ron was deathly confused. How did this... guy piloting the helicopter know he was going to propose to Kim? And where _were_ they going? After a few short minutes in the helicopter, they found themselves outside of Bueno Nacho in Middleton. It was about 10 o'clock, and the velvet night sky was dotted with pinpoints of light. But Ron was more confused than ever. Kim seemed to get it, and he trusted her, so it couldn't be _that_ complicated... could it?

The chopper landed, and Kim and Ron jumped out. Kim thanked the man, and he flew away. The couple covered their eyes as the harsh wind from the whirring blades blew their hair in their face.

Ron lowered his arm and blinked. He was still confused. Why were they at Bueno Nacho? Why weren't things making _sense_?

Sense. Kim had always been the analytical one of the two. So, why was he the one worrying? She had always been the take-charge action gal; if she wasn't worrying, he shouldn't, either. It didn't make that much difference if he did or didn't, anyway. It would end out the same, no matter what he thought about it.

Of course, it was a "mind-over-matter" kind of thing. If he didn't want it to make sense, it wouldn't. Right? Boy, he was confusing himself. Kim would know what to do.

Ron gave her a concerned look; Kim smiled and took his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. He returned her confident smile, even though he was a good bit less confident than she.

"And about earlier..." Kim said, "... of course tonight! Why would we wait?"

"Well..." Ron's confusion returned stronger than ever. "... I mean, don't you need time to pack? And don't you need a-a gown or something?"

"A gown?" Kim started power-walking towards the outside tables. She stopped in the shadow of an umbrella, towing Ron along the whole way. He stood next to her, and they released their hands. "Of course not! I'm just going to need a pair of mission pants and maybe some hiking boots."

"Hiking boots!" Ron was appalled. Suddenly, the ground opened up, and Kim and Ron found themselves encased in two glass pods. The pods thundered down a specially-made track, frightening Ron to the point of pants-wetting. He made his fear crystal clear to Kim, who tried to shout over the din and tell him to be quiet. Her calling was in vain, however, as Ron couldn't understand her over the noise of the pods against the track.

Ron's screams didn't desist until the pods had stopped at the bottom of the track—and Ron had done a firm face-plant in the side of the pod. Kim, however, stooped down in a graceful crouch that absorbed the shock of the sudden stop. The doors to her pod opened almost immediately, as did Ron's.

The blond fell unceremoniously out of the pod onto his face. Ron groaned into the hard surface of the floor. Kim flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked over to Ron. She bent down and picked him up by the arm. She dusted off his tux, and, noting the dazed look on his face, quickly brushed her lips against his cheek. The dazed look immediately vanished.

Soon, a brown-haired woman in a blue jumpsuit came up to the couple and greeted them. "Kim, Ron, I'm pleased to see you here."

Ron flushed as Kim took his arm. "Thank you, Dr. Director," Kim said graciously.

_Oh, no, Kim_, Ron thought. _You're not going to tell Dr. Director about... _us_, are you?_ Ron was suddenly nervous. How would she react? _Would_ she react? What was the worst she could do to him? To them? What was the...?

Kim's soft voice interrupted his panic. "After a lot of thought, Ron and I..."

_Here it comes_, Ron thought. He bowed his head, acting like a man on his way to the gallows.

"... have decided..."

_Oh boy._

"... to accept the mission to find Monkey Fist."

Ron's head shot up and his eyes were as wide as saucers. "Monkey Fist!" His exclamation went by unnoticed, however, as Dr. Betty Director shook both of their hands.

"Thank you very much, Kim, Ron," she said. "We will greatly appreciate your help on this mission. You will be taken to our base in London, which is where Monkey Fist was last seen in prison. Will Du will meet up with you, and you can compare notes. Now, Kim," Dr. Director said, noting Kim's peeved look, "I know what happened last time. But he and I had a little... _chat_, and he understands that you are to be treated as an equal, maybe even a superior."

Kim smiled, looking relieved. "Thank you, Dr. Director. But do you think we could change out of these clothes?" she said, looking down at her knee-length dress.

"Oh, don't worry about that." Betty pulled a remote from her pocket and flipped a switch. Two panels flipped out from the wall beside the duo. Each held a pair of pants, a shirt, a belt, and all the respective accessories for them. Kim took her pile and headed away from Dr. Director.

Ron held out a hand to her. "Uhh, Kim...?"

Kim turned around, blushing furiously. "Dr. Director? Which way is the bathroom again?"

Betty Director chuckled and pointed Kim in the right direction. The redhead thanked her profusely, feeling foolish. "Come on, Ron." She grabbed his hand. "Bathroom is this way." Ron grabbed his pile of clothes and followed after her to change.

--------------------

Kim and Ron emerged from the separate bathrooms, clothed in their mission gear. Kim's long, now curling hair cascaded down her back, and her midriff shirt was sleeveless. She wore an extra pocket around her thigh, as well as the one on her belt.

Ron didn't look much different than he had in high school, except for the sword sheathed on his left side. The Lotus Blade. Any mission with Monkey Fist required the blond to take it with him. He didn't want to risk the lives of any innocent people (or Kim) just because he forgot his sword at home.

And it felt so good, so... right. Like it belonged there, strapped to his side, ready to be unsheathed and wielded in battle. He grinned and patted it lightly. He looked at Kim expectantly. "I'm ready if you are," he said.

Kim unstrapped her hairdryer from her belt and checked it, making sure it was ready. "Perfect," she said. She turned to Dr. Director, who was waiting outside the bathrooms. "OK, so where are we headed?"

Betty pulled a GPS system from a pocket on her hip. "Right before Monkey Fist escaped, the London Office of Suspicious Exhibition of Rights put a tracking chip on him."

Ron scratched his head. "Why would they care where he went?"

"You see, Ron, they think Monkey Fist has been exhibiting some suspicious... working of his rights lately."

"You hurt your what?"

Betty laughed. "No. That means that they think he's done bad things to monkeys. Almost animal cruelty, if you will. Suspicious, at least."

A proverbial lightbulb clicked on over Ron's head. "Ooohh! OK, that makes so much more sense now."

Kim rolled her eyes. "So all we have to do is use that," she pointed to the GPS in Betty's hand, "to find Monkey Fist. Sounds like cake."

"It may be," Dr. Director said, "but as usual, GJ's pretty sure he's up to something. Something bad."

Ron's fist clenched so tightly his knuckles popped. "You can bet your life," he growled. His caring brown eyes clouded over with suspicion and supreme dislike for the ex-lord.

"Now, Ron," Kim said, sauntering up behind him and playing with his ear, "There's no need to get all hiked up about it." She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulders. "Right?"

Ron relaxed his death-grip and allowed for a small smile. "Sure, KP." She nuzzled his neck. "Whatever you... say..." He trailed off as Kim lavished attention on him.

"Good man," she purred. She cleared her throat and stood up straight.

Dr. Director wore a huge smile. "So, Team Possible, you ready to go?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," Kim spoke.

Ron just stood there, a stupefied look on his freckled face.

"All right. Your ride will be here any minute." Betty handed Kim the GPS. The couple turned around and headed for the Global Justice Air Hangar. "Oh, and Kim?" Kim turned and looked at the brunette woman. "Good luck." Kim smiled and waved, then jogged down the hall to catch up with Ron.

--------------------

Kim and Ron were seated side-by-side in the passengers' section of a Global Justice sonic jet. _Traveling at the speed of sound has never been so much fun_, Kim thought. It was just her and Ron. Together. Alone in a small aircraft, speeding over the southern edges of North America at mach two. It was exciting.

Too bad Ron had dozed off fifteen minutes into their flight. Kim sighed heavily. She didn't want to wake him up, but she also wanted a special dose of Ron-shine before rushing halfway around the world to stop a demented bad guy from... whatever it was he was doing.

She slumped down in her seat, fiddling with her hair. Besides her and Ron's seat, there were two other passenger chairs in the plane. Sure, it was small, but it didn't matter. She was here with Ron, and even if he was asleep, she was going to enjoy it.

Ron suddenly snored loudly, catching her off guard. She giggled, then realized what she had done and covered her mouth quickly. His mouth hung open, a little drop of spittle on his upper lip. Kim snorted, trying to keep control.

He muttered in his sleep, then rolled over on his side to face the window. She couldn't see his face anymore, but his disheveled mop of blond hair told her what she already knew: he had been scrubbing around in his seat ever since he fell asleep. Which meant he was probably having a very nice dream right now.

All the more reason for her not to disturb him, Kim reasoned. _If he wants to sleep and ignore me, he can. But he doesn't know what he's missing._ Kim playfully crossed her arms in a childlike pout. She stuck out her bottom lip, and her emerald eyes grew with a special innocence only Possible women could input.

Even after a few minutes of heavy lip-pouting, Ron still wasn't awake. She sighed, defeated. But then again, did she really expect for it to have any effect when he was _asleep_? They had to see it for it to work properly.

But even as she thought this, Ron rolled over and grumbled under his breath. He rubbed his eyes, then stretched long and hard before settling back into the seat again.

Kim was on the edge of her seat, hoping he would wake up. She peered at his contented features, trying to memorize the placement of every line and the position of every freckle.

Ron, sensing someone was above him, sleepily opened one eye to look at her. He closed it again, and for a moment, Kim thought he would go back to sleep. But he stretched again, then said, "Wow, KP. What a way to wake up." He rubbed his eyes. "You're even prettier when you're anxiously awaiting my arrival in the Land of the Living."

Kim unbuckled her seatbelt and crouched on her seat on all fours. "It's good to see you up and at 'em, Captain Romance," she said.

"What, you didn't like my witty remark?"

"Let's just say that my grandfather could've done better." Kim grinned evilly.

"Hey, no fair, KP!" Ron whined. He crossed his arms in a faux pout.

Kim, still on all fours, sidled up to him and whispered, "I know how you can make it up to me."

Ron raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Yeah? How? You don't want me to run around school in my underwear again, do you?"

Kim giggled. "No!" She rested her head on his shoulder. "But that was pretty funny." Her warm breath tickled Ron's neck and sent a shiver down his spine.

"So what do you have in mind?" Ron asked.

"Ron-shine, please and thank you," she said. Ron turned to face her and she placed her hands on his shoulders. Her gentle fingers traced up and down his jawbone, then played with his earlobe.

Ron was short of breath. He placed his hands on Kim's hips and drew her close. She looked at him, her forest green eyes full of joy and love. He smiled, then took her chin in his hand and brought her lips to his.

Kim snuggled even closer to him, rubbing her body against his. Her hand was on his neck, trying to draw as much energy from the one kiss as possible. His hands traveled up and down her back, then hesitated at the hips.

They paused, each regaining their breath. They started back again; Kim partially opened her mouth, letting her tongue tease the edge of his lips. She felt his strong, gentle hands once again begin their journey down her back. Once again, they hesitated at the hips. They had been dating long enough for Kim to feel comfortable with Ron beside her. Didn't he feel the same? Of course he did; he just respected her privacy. But right now, privacy wasn't a big thing on her "Priorities List."

So, to give Ron more confidence, she decided to let him know that it was OK with her. It wasn't like they hadn't done this before...

She paused, pulling back from him. Her arms were around his neck, and his hands at her waist. She smiled warmly, hoping to help him gain confidence. He returned the smile, and he once again captured her lips with his, though more boldly this time. She shifted her position so that she was now in his lap, legs straddling his.

She parted her mouth, farther this time, and her tongue darted into his mouth for a split second. His hands stopped their roam up and down her back; Ron seemed a little unsure of what to do. _Come on, Ron! You know what to do!_

Then, ever so slowly, she felt his tongue enter her mouth—and stay there. She responded in like, urging his hands onward with her lips.

His hands started their up-and-down trek again, pausing at the hips for the third time. Kim pressed herself against him, letting him know he was the man. He was in charge. She wouldn't do it for him.

Ron's hands traveled down, down, down...

... right there is where she wanted them. He squeezed her, and she squealed with delight.

Ron, gaining more confidence, leaned farther into her kiss. His hands started roaming again, but this time weren't afraid to stop. His tongue danced around in her mouth, rubbing against hers, then retreating into his own mouth, only to shoot back out again with a surprise attack.

His hands not only traveled down, but also up. He traced a pattern in her back, circling around her spine, her shoulder blades, and then coming forwards. He squeezed; Ron's eyes widened.

He pulled back from the kiss and looked Kim in the eyes, his hand still up her shirt. "K-Kim," he said. "Where's your bra?"

Kim smiled coyly. "Oh, you mean this old thing?" She pulled a piece of fabric from her backpack. "It was _soo_ itchy, so I decided to take it off. You don't... mind, do you?"

Ron was stupefied. "No, no, Kim; of course I don't mind."

"Good."

She captured his lips with hers again. Ron's hand stayed where it was, supporting her breast with his gentle grip.

Kim moaned softly. This newer, more confident Ron was what she had been looking for.

And for the entire flight, Kim and Ron were busily engaged in the passengers' cabin of the jet.

--------------------

Soon (a little too soon for Kim and Ron), the jet came to their destination; and with a _whoosh_ of the landing gear, they were on the ground. The duo climbed out and surveyed their surroundings. Kim pulled the GPS from her pants pocket.

"OK," she said, pointing to a beeping red dot on the screen, "here he is."

"And here _we_ are, in South America." Ron looked around. "Home of giant mosquitoes, vicious piranhas, and rabid tigers. Fun."

Kim laughed. She scanned the horizon; nothing but trees, as far as the eye could see. A few mountain peaks lay far in the distance, but even these were laden with foliage of every kind. She surveyed the dense undergrowth surrounding the clearing the plane had landed in.

"Well, I suppose it's not _that_ bad," she said. "Yet."

Ron unsheathed the Lotus Blade, turning it into a sharp machete. "I'll lead the way, Kim," he said. "Just point me in the right direction."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "This isn't one of those macho 'manly-man' things, is it?" she asked suspiciously.

"No," Ron shook his head defiantly. "I'm just the one holding the machete."

"Good point." Kim looked at the GPS, then pointed towards the south. "That way," she said.

--------------------

Monkey Fist stared at the object in his hands. After long, tiresome years of study, after careful perception and staying up into the wee hours of the night, after carefully avoiding all those booby traps... he had finally done it.

He had acquired the Temple Crown. It looked quite odd, to say the least, but to him, it was an irreplaceable treasure. The Crown itself looked like a monkey. The head formed the main body of the Crown, the mouth open in a growl. The sharp teeth fitted perfectly over his head; the ears stuck up from the monkey's head, and the arms hung down on both sides to create what looked like sideburns.

He grinned, his yellow teeth shining in the dim lighting of the huge room. _My ticket to revenge... and, of course... _

"This... _this_," he held up the Crown, "will complete my transformation. I _will_ become the **_ultimate monkey master_**!"

His legion of monkey ninjas screeched and hooted, swinging from the stone pillars that supported the massive room. He smiled, a sneer painted on his once distinct, sophisticated features. He raised the Crown high, letting the cries of his minions swirl around him.

_I will be supreme_, he thought. _And I'm ready for you, Stoppable._

--------------------

Kim and Ron hacked their way through the dense undergrowth, Ron in front, sweeping the machete out in front of him to clear away the foliage. Kim followed behind, giving him instructions and telling him to turn at the appropriate times.

They had been weaving a trail through the jungle for about an hour when Kim said, "OK, Ron. The GPS is going crazy; we should be coming upon somethin..." She trailed off as Ron chopped down the bundle of fern bushes and saplings that blocked their way. Their path opened up into a large clearing; in the middle of the clearing sat a huge monkey temple.

"That is the second largest monkey temple I've seen in my life," Ron said, awed. He stared at the massive display of ancient architecture. Giant monkey statues were carved everywhere: in the sides, on the ceiling; they supported the roof, standing upright as massive pillars. Each monkey was carved with detail; their facial expressions differed from expressions of happiness to mouths full of sharp teeth open in silent screams.

But it wasn't just the architecture that had Ron so fascinated. It was the temple itself. It had an air of... _something_ Ron couldn't identify. Without even noticing, he took an eager step forward towards the temple.

Kim tugged his hand from behind. "Hang on there, Mr. Eager," she said. "Don't leave me in the dust." She sighed. "I wish we had gone home before this mission. Then you could've gotten Rufus and taken him with you."

Ron stared ahead at the clearing, mesmerized.

"Ron..."

Ron shook his head. "Huh? Oh, sorry."

"Yeah, really. Earth to Ron?" She rolled her green eyes. "Let's get going."

They walked cautiously up to the entrance; a huge stone monkey stood over the doorway, as if guarding something. His arms were spread apart, supporting a massive amount of the arching roof. Ron shivered.

"I don't like the looks of that," he muttered.

"Paranoid much? Come on; I don't see any booby traps so far." Kim pulled him through the doorway and into the temple.

What lay before them was a classic villain shtick: a long, darkened hallway with a few torches here and there to cast their feeble light on the cold stone walls. The hallway was massive, but not as big as one would assume looking at the outside.

The hallway seemed to go on forever. Kim and Ron peered into the semi-darkness, hoping to catch a glimpse of something at the end of the tunnel. They could see nothing.

Ron took a deep breath, trying to inhale as much of the smell of the temple as possible. Again, just like outside, he felt drawn. Like a moth to a street lamp—irresistible. He breathed in, a sweet aroma filling his nostrils. It smelled like... bananas? Interesting. And... he sniffed the air again. Was that a hint of mango he detected?

Whatever it was, it smelled good. And the atmosphere didn't hurt, either. He felt so at home, so secure, so safe here; almost like nothing bad would ever happen again. Wars would be ended, hunger would be quenched, and peace would reign throughout the world. Ron sighed and patted the Lotus Blade; it quivered slightly, almost like a living thing. As if it could draw from his sense of security and create a life force all its own, just by coming in contact with his hand.

Kim, on the other hand, was tweaked. When they had gone to the restaurant, she hadn't wanted to be disturbed, so she left the Kimmunicator at home. She hadn't had a chance to go back and get it before they went to the GJ base.

She was now ticked at herself for not bringing it in the first place and reluctant to move on without it. Without the Kimmunicator and the connection to Wade, they wouldn't know where the booby traps were—and _if_ there were any at all. She patted herself down, making sure she didn't accidentally stuff it in a back pocket somewhere.

Ron shook his head. _Stoppable, you are such a weirdo. What the heck, man? I mean, it's just a temple... Maybe Bonnie was right. What kind of a normal, self-respecting person would feel this way about a freaky monkey... temple-thing?_ He sighed, disgusted. _What a loser._

Kim gave him a sidelong glance; she noted his downcast expression. "Hey, there, Mr. Eager," she said softly. "What's gotten you down?"

"Oh, nothing, KP."

Kim raised her eyebrow, but decided to let it slide. "All right," she said. "Let's go." They started off down the tunnel, hand in hand.

--------------------

Monkey Fist inhaled slowly, then exhaled. Inhale. Exhale. That's all there was to it. He had been meditating for an hour when he felt it. His eyes shot open, and his sense of concentration was lost.

"Stoppable," he growled. "You've come to join the party."

He sat cross-legged on the ground, surrounded by four monkey idols. He held the crown in his hands as his followers sat in a semi-circle around him, mimicking his movements. They screeched as they heard this accursed name; all of them save one.

Chippy stood at the back of the crowd, contemplating. Monkey Fist... he was a good man, but he didn't treat his followers very well. And besides, _he_ was the one who kept pretending, not Ron.

Chippy knew Ron well. They had gotten to know each other a lot in that one day, and even though the young blond-haired teenager had a thing against monkeys, he was a pretty good kid. And deep down, Chippy could feel it. It wasn't Monkey Fist, this half man half ape they should be following; it should be Stoppable.

Chippy had known it all along. He had purposely thrown away those banana peels; he knew Ron and his friend Kim would follow the trail and foil Monkey Fist's plot. That "accident" was no accident at all. He had been very sneaky and quiet about it so Monkey Fist wouldn't find out. As one of the oldest and most experienced monkey ninjas, it was easy for him to slip by the Englishman's notice; he kept it riveted on that monkey amulet the whole time, anyway.

Chippy had come to a conclusion during those days. He would no longer follow Monkey Fist, but Ron. And Ron would treat him right, too; they would be... tight. As tight as a simian and a boy could be. But today wasn't the day, and right now wasn't the time—at least not yet.

--------------------

Kim and Ron warily tiptoed through the hallway, the flickering torches bolted to the walls their only source of light.

Suddenly, Ron halted and held out a hand to stop Kim. His eyes narrowed; he didn't like this setup. It was too easy. All they had to do was walk down the tunnel and _boom!_ they would save the day and be off to Middleton again.

Ron's brown orbs shifted from the end of the hallway to Kim. She had obediently stopped as he had put out his arm. He couldn't risk it. He pulled out the Lotus Blade with his right hand, keeping Kim subdued with his left.

He peered again into the darkness, trying to make out the end of the tunnel.

"I don't like this, KP," he said finally. "My wierdar is going off."

He sniffed the air; it even _smelled_ fishy. The air no longer smelled sweet and inviting. Instead, it smelled repugnant and stale. Like someone had died, and someone else had come by and tried to cover up the stench with a spray or two of Lysol—or Febreze. He crinkled up his nose. Disgusting.

Kim placed her hand on top of his, gently pushing it downward. "Yeah, mine, too," she said. "But we still need to stop Monkey Fist, and the GPS says he's in here."

"OK." Ron lowered his arm, still holding the faintly-glowing Lotus Blade with the other. They pressed onward down the tunnel.

--------------------

Monkey Fist still held the mystical Temple Crown in his hands. He stood up from his circle of idols and faced his minions.

"This is the night we have all been waiting for," he spoke. "Now, when Ron Stoppable walks through that door," he pointed to a large, arched doorway at the end of the massive room, "you know what to do." His monkey ninjas nodded and hopped into place. They hid themselves among the cracks in the crumbling temple, poised and ready for ambush.

--------------------

Kim and Ron had been walking for quite some time when they finally spotted a faint glow at the end of the tunnel.

Ron paused and squinted, the wheels in his mind spinning.

Kim noticed this and laid a hand on his shoulder. "What is it, Ron?"

"I just realized... the London Office of Suspicious Exhibition of Rights..." Ron chuckled. "They..." He couldn't spit it out. He burst out laughing, holding his sides, practically rolling around on the floor in hysteria.

Kim was agitated. "What, Ron? What about the London Office?"

Ron finally calmed down enough to speak. "... the... the... London Office..." He cracked up, but soon regained control. "I can't believe we got help from... from... those L.O.S.E.R.s!" He lost it again. He slapped his thigh with his sword hand, holding his forehead with the other.

Kim snorted. It was kind of funny if you thought about it. And to see her boyfriend crack up like that...

... it was too much for Kim. She joined Ron in his hysterics, her soprano accentuating his tenor.

They laughed for a few minutes, just standing there, holding their sides. Finally, their laughter died down, and Kim wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Wow; my sides are going to hurt for a week now."

Ron blew air through his nose. "That was hilarious. I never even thought about it that way before."

"It was _your_ realization, Genius Boy."

"Well, I do what I can." He turned serious once more. "Now, I think we have a light to investigate."

They cautiously made their way down the tunnel, then paused at the huge doorway. The torches on the walls cast an eerie glow on the arched entranceway.

Ron once again held out his hand for Kim to stop. He gripped the Lotus Blade tighter in his hand and slowly peered through the doorway. He saw no one.

He told Kim so, and she shrugged. "I know he's in there," she said.

Ron narrowed his eyes. "He's probably hiding. I'll go first."

He crept through the ancient archway, sneaking from shadow to shadow, trying to make his presence unknown.

On the other side of the door, the monkey ninjas were ready and waiting. Monkey Fist sat perched atop a giant monkey pillar that had toppled over in some massive earthquake. He was shrouded in darkness; he could see Stoppable, but Stoppable couldn't see him.

Monte squinted into the darkness. He had to give the boy _some_ credit. Each time they fought, it was getting harder and harder to detect his presence. In fact, if Ron hadn't tripped on a rock and fallen, he would've never found him.

Ron grumbled and pulled himself back together, brushing the dust off of his mission clothes. What an idiot; he fell on a rock. A rock! It wasn't even that big, either. He shook his head to clear away the mental blockade. _Head in game, Stoppable._

He sneaked through the darkness; something wasn't quite right. He paused for a moment and immediately regretted his decision.

The darkness faded away as a giant chandelier in the middle of the room lit up. It was ancient and would probably fall apart any second. Through the light cast by the chandelier, he could see himself surrounded by a horde of monkey ninjas.

"Fuji," he muttered.

Monkey Fist climbed down from his perch on top of the statue. "Stoppable," he said pleasantly—a little too pleasantly for Ron's liking, "we've been awaiting your arrival."

Ron held the Lotus Blade in defensive position. "Charmed, I'm sure," he mocked. His brown eyes scanned the room, assessing his situation. _If only Kim..._

At that very moment, Kim Possible burst through the doorway on the grapple gun; she swung across the room and knocked Monkey Fist onto his back. She landed gracefully on the stone floor, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Monkey Fist growled, placed the Crown on a ledge near the wall, and charged at her.

"Ron!" Kim shouted. "I'll take care of Monkey Fist. You get the Crown."

"Sure thing, KP!" he said. He changed the Sword into a bo staff, sweeping the surrounding monkeys off of their feet. He jumped over them, running towards the shelf where Monkey Fist stored the Crown.

Just as he was about to take it, a monkey ninja grabbed his ankle and held fast, while another one jumped on his back. As more and more monkeys piled on top of Ron, he knew he was in trouble. He needed to get them off, and fast.

He kicked the one hanging onto his ankle, sending it flying towards the wall; its skull hit the stone with a _crack_.

_One down, 49 more to go._

He paused, contemplating what to do. Ron suddenly got an idea. He threw himself against the wall, crushing the monkeys on his back on the stone. He flung himself time and time again at the wall, trying to loosen their hold.

Finally, two or three of the weaker monkeys released their grip on him; knocked unconscious, they were down for the count. Ron continued the practice until all the monkey ninjas were scattered around him, dazed or dead to the world. He grinned, then reached up for the Crown.

Just then, Kim and Monkey Fist were battling heatedly, approaching very close to Ron. Kim, on the offensive, noticed this and tried to drive Monte away from him. Monkey Fist noticed this, and when her guard was down, sent a driving punch to her midsection. She barely blocked the blow before he feigned a kick to her face, then crouched down and swept her off her feet.

Kim jumped back up, still barely keeping the defensive. Monkey Fist pulled back for a moment, regaining his balance as he drove Kim forward. He jumped into a back handspring, adding a flying twist-kick to her head.

Kim noticed the monkey man flying at her and quickly ducked. Unfortunately, Ron was standing behind them, trying to retrieve the Crown. Monkey Fist flew over Kim and connected with Ron's back, sending him flying into the stone wall. His body twisted around in mid-air, and his body smacked against the wall with a resounding _thud_.

The force of Ron's body hitting the wall shook the unstable shelf where the Crown sat. It shivered, shook, and finally gave out with a _crack_. The Crown tumbled towards the stone floor, but stopped abruptly on the head of one unconscious Ron. It landed perfectly, the teeth of the monkey fitting over his wild blond hair, the arms hanging down the side of his temples.

Monkey Fist recovered from the flying kick and looked at Kim, then Ron, then back to Kim again, his face resonating with shock. He growled at her, furious.

"The Crown should've been mine, _mine_!" he screeched, attacking Kim with a barrage of punches and kicks. Kim easily blocked every one; his fury would be short-lived.

"_I_ was to be the ultimate monkey master!"

"Oh, take a hike, Monte," Kim said forcefully. She drove a triple punch-kick combo, her own special creation, into his torso. Monkey Fist flew across the room, landing limply on the floor, unconscious.

_Now that that's over..._ Kim rushed over to Ron's side. She felt for his pulse; it was strong. She picked him up and slung him over her shoulder.

_Good heavens, Ron; what have you been eating?_ She tried her best to carry her boyfriend out into the hallway. She dumped him on the stone floor, unable to bear him any longer.

She sighed, then she remembered something. The GPS unit. It probably had a tracking device of some sort in it...

Kim pulled it out of her pocket, then tapped the screen with her gloved hand. The device came to life, the screen glowing in the semi-darkness. She looked all over the GPS, trying to find a "call" button of some sort.

_Ah, here we go._ She activated the homing system of the GPS. _GJ should be here any minute._

**Later at the GJ base**

Kim sat in a soft chair in Betty Director's office, absentmindedly sipping a cup of hot chocolate. Her red hair was a mess, but she didn't care. All she wanted to know about was Ron. After GJ had shown up, they airlifted her and Ron back to the base; Ron was rushed immediately to the med. center to see if he had suffered any type of permanent head damage. Kim had gotten no report on how well he was doing, and she was worried.

"Dr. Director," she pleaded, "I _need_ to know about Ron. Please, it's very important."

"Kim," said Betty, "I would tell you if I could, but so far, we've got no info on Ron. The doctors have been in there for an hour and haven't come out yet."

"Well, then let me go and see him."

Betty sighed. She couldn't believe she was saying this, but... "Very well. This way."

--------------------

Ron's head ached terribly. He groaned, trying to block out the light from what he assumed must be the medical lamp on the operating table. The light hurt his eyes.

He tried to roll over, but soon realized he was in a bed. If he moved, the IV in his arm would be pulled out. He blinked; the light didn't hurt as much anymore. He decided to finally take a chance.

When he opened his eyes, he noticed the light wasn't as bright as he originally thought. It wasn't a medical lamp, but just a reading lamp on a desk in the far corner of his room. He looked around. _I must be at GJ_, he thought. _After that fight with Monkey Fist..._ he rubbed his temples; his head still hurt.

Ron noticed something odd about his head. He patted his temples again. Was that... something hard? What the...? He felt down, around, and up on top of his head. His eyes widened in realization. _You've got to be kidding me._ Apparently, sometime when they were fighting Monkey Fist, the Temple Crown had gotten stuck on his head. The meds must've not bothered to have taken it off. He groaned and fell back onto the bed.

Ron twitched; he itched. Everywhere. Which was... odd. He didn't usually itch at all, much less everywhere. He attacked his body with his hands, trying to ease the discomfort. He was scratching his arms when he noticed something strange. He cocked his eyebrow; he hadn't looked at his body since he had awoken. Now, he was itching something that felt strangely like... fur? He gulped; Ron didn't know if he wanted to look down or not.

He did anyway. He gasped. His entire forearm was covered with a thick layer of blond hair. He pulled away, but kept scratching desperately. What _was_ this? What was happening?

He scratched his head, his arms, his legs, his torso. This was insane! He was human, not some... thing from another universe!

He scratched his head, clawing away vigorously at the mop of blond sitting there. He stopped attacking for a moment to think. It must be...

He stopped clawing at his head and started clawing the Crown on his head. _This is all your fault!_ He pulled, pushed, and did everything under the sun to try and get it off. Nothing worked. It seemed stuck to his head—permanently attached. He would be looking like this for the rest of his life unless he could get this stupid thing off!

He moaned and held his head in his hands. What more freaky mutations would he come across? And what would Kim think? He bit his lip in misery.

"Ow!" Ron jumped. He hadn't even meant to apply that much pressure... and yet... He touched his lip with his finger. Blood. Good grief; now what?

Slowly, and with a shaking hand, he touched his index finger to his teeth. His front four seemed OK...

... then he touched his K-9s. "Gah!" They were abnormally long... and sharp, too. He pouted his lip. This was soo not fair! The hair, the itching, the teeth...

He blinked. A mirror was stationed across the room over a small dresser, right where he could see himself in it. Was that... him? Whoa. Dude. He grinned, then flexed. It looked like he had been working out for years; had all this happened overnight?

And even if Kim didn't like the hair and the teeth, Ron knew she would like the muscles, even if they only lasted as long as the Crown stayed on his head. He patted his mussed up hair, carefully gracing the Crown with his fingertips. Ron glanced around the room again. The desk on his right, the door on his left. But... where were the doctors? Weren't they supposed to be monitoring him? He was the only one in the room.

Ron spotted his torn mission clothes draped over a chair by the desk. He scratched his head, deciding it wouldn't hurt if he took a look around the impound. He sat up in the hospital bed, listening for any outside noises. Improved hearing was, apparently, another side effect of the Crown.

Hearing nothing, he got up from the bed when he felt a tug at his wrist. Ron looked down; he had forgotten. An IV bag hung from a metal frame beside his bed, and a small tube ran from the bag to his wrist. Sterile tape wrapped around his wrist to keep the needle from being pulled free. Thankfully, the IV was on wheels. Ron pulled the metal frame over to the chair so he could change.

Change. Now, that could be a problem. With the IV stuck in his arm, he'd have to maneuver his shirt over the metal frame, over the bag, and down the tube. Then he'd have to somehow get it on himself while only using one hand. He frowned. OK, maybe changing wasn't such a good idea.

Ron balked, remembering the ring. What had happened to it? After he had retrieved it at the restaurant, he stuffed it back in his pocket. Then... where had they gone? Oh, yeah; GJ. When they changed into their mission clothes, he must've put it in his pocket. He patted the pocket in question; he felt nothing. No big; it was probably in the other one.

He patted the other side, getting the same results. "Wha...?" Where was the ring? Panic arose in Ron. He held up his gray mission pants, checking every pocket. He patted, felt through, and opened every little crevice he could think of. No ring. It was like it had disappeared into thin air.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps outside his door.

--------------------

Kim followed Dr. Director down the many hallways of the Global Justice headquarter's med wing. Kim grimaced; she definitely wouldn't want to get lost in the many passageways. Someone could wander around for weeks and never see the light of day. How—

Her thoughts were cut off by Betty's abrupt stop. She pointed to a large wooden door with a sign reading "A-113".

"Ron's in here," she said. Kim nodded and walked past her towards the door. She paused. What would she find behind this door? Had Ron gotten the proper treatment? Would he be OK? She shook her head. Of course, silly! He was... obviously...

She laid her hand gently on the doorknob. Slowly, she twisted it, and with an almost unhuman air, the door popped open. Kim breathed a sigh of relief.

Ron stood in the corner of the room, looking like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. He blinked, then grinned.

"KP!" he said with obvious enthusiasm. He still held the mission pants in his IV-laden hand.

Kim's relief was short-lived, though; she gasped in horror. "Ron!"

"Huh?"

"What happened?"

Ron glanced down at his bare feet. "Uhm, I dunno?"

Kim arched an eyebrow.

"The Crown thingy did it!"

"Well, take it off!"

"I tried, KP, but it won't come! It's stuck or something."

Kim sidled up to Ron and put her hands on the side of his head, digging her fingers under the Crown and into his mess of blond hair.

"Oww, Kim!"

"Sorry, Ron; now hold still."

Kim tugged, but the Crown didn't move. She grunted, then tugged again. Ron let out a yelp of pain.

"Kim!"

"Ron!"

Betty Director looked on in amusement as the couple grappled with the Crown. She knew Ron should probably be in bed, but all of his readings said that he was perfectly healthy. Might as well let them have their fun.

Kim pulled up and out, tugging at the infernal headpiece with all her might.

"It..." she pulled, "won't..." and tugged, "come..." and grappled, "OFF!"

"Ow!... ow!... ow!" Ron shouted as Kim threw her weight away from him.

Kim placed her boot in his chest. "OK, Ron," she said. "This might sting a little. Are you ready?"

Ron nodded, looking much like a lost puppy on his way to the pound.

Kim took a deep breath, braced herself against Ron's chest, and pulled.

Nothing happened. She pulled again. Nothing.

Kim growled, re-placed her boot, and threw all of her might into getting the Crown off.

"Aaaaiiiieee!" Ron cried. His hands shot up to his temples as he tried to relieve the pressure.

Suddenly, Kim's grip faltered. The pressure built up between the two suddenly became too much for either of them to stand, and they both fell to the floor, landing smack on their backsides. Ron and Kim rubbed their sore areas and looked at each other forlornly.

"I... guess it _isn't_ coming off."

Ron shrugged, them smiled good-naturedly. "No big, KP. We'll learn do deal."

"I hope so."

Kim sighed, picking herself up off the tiled floor. She brushed her clothes off, then offered a hand to Ron. She grunted as she pulled him up.

"Geez, Ron. What have you been eating?"

Ron looked sheepish. "Food?"

"Very funny."

While Kim and Ron were exchanging witty banter, Betty sidled up to Ron and placed something small and cold in his palm. "I think you might want this."

Ron felt around the item. It was his ring! "Where did you find this?" he whispered.

"It fell out of your back pocket when you were fighting Fiske. A GJ agent picked it up and gave it to me."

"Thanks, Dr. D."

Betty smiled. "The pleasure's all mine. Now if you'll excuse me," she said, loud enough for Kim to hear, "I think I smell some coffee burning."

Ron stared at the floor, scared out of his mind. He had been planning this moment for a long time, but when the time came, he chickened out. A bead of sweat dripped down his forehead onto his nose.

Kim noticed he was uncomfortable and sauntered up to him, swinging her hips. "What's wrong?" she asked, playing with the patch of fuzz on his ear.

"Oh, nothing." The sweat was coming faster now.

"Yeah, right." Kim moved behind him and rested her chin in his shoulder, that little spot meant just for her.

"Umm, actually..." Ron took a deep breath. "I have something to ask you."

"Oh?" Kim feigned surprise.

"Yes." Ron gripped the ring tighter. "Kimberly Ann Possible," he got down on one knee, "will you _please_ marry me?" He showed her the ring.

To say Kim was elated would be an understatement. She gingerly picked up the ring from his grasp and placed it on her left ring finger. The diamond-encrusted emerald shone brightly in the light from the dim reading lamp.

Tears of joy clouded her vision, and she was rendered speechless. She looked at Ron, his hopeful gaze riveted on her and her alone. This man, with whom she had spent most of her life, asked her to spend the rest of it with him.

What else could she say?

"Yes, yes, yes! A million times yes!"

She pulled the blond to his feet and danced him around the room, then planted a kiss on his lips he wasn't sure to forget.

"I suppose that's a 'yes,' then."

Kim smiled. "Of course," she whispered. "I wouldn't want anything else."

--------------------

During that time, many thoughts swirled about in Ron's head. Would he be able to support their family? What things would await them in their new life?

But as Kim kissed him in that hospital room 100 feet under solid bedrock, all of his fears melted away. It was an obvious answer to a difficult question: "yes." Kim had said "yes"! Yes to spend the rest of their lives together. Yes to all the trials and tribulations they were sure to endure.

And of course, all of these questions and statements were important, but one single thing stuck in Ron's head. How lucky he was to be engaged to Kim Possible, _the_ Kim Possible! For her to choose him as her "one-and-only," her partner for life.

And for a split second, he felt sorry for all of those other people in the world who only knew Kim Possible as a TV icon, a brave young adult who put her life in danger to save others. He felt sorry for everyone who would never have the pleasure of knowing her personally.

For Ron Stoppable, he was the luckiest man on Earth. But for everyone else...

... sometimes, Life just wasn't fair.

THE END

* * *

A/N: All right, guys; there it is. And since it's summer, I won't be able to update as quickly. The schedge is super hectic, and updating won't be as easy since I won't have access to a computer as often. Many apologies, and I hope you understand.

As soon as summer is over, stories will be updated at the usual pace. But until then, please don't expect any drastically long or awesomely-written chapters. It's just too difficult with the summer-packed schedule. Thanks again for understanding, and I hope you liked this little piece of work.


End file.
